What this Governor Candidate Recommends for Funding Transportation

The 6/16/24 Seattle Times Opinion “Road work ahead: Gubernatorial candidates diverge on transportation” didn’t mention my candidacy or the multiple posts I’ve emailed them regarding transportation.  The posts have  questioned how Sound Transit was funding the “country’s largest transit system expansion”. Funds that could be better used to address the concern, “The State’s Transportation Department also estimates that highways, bridges, and ferries around the state are billions of dollars behind in maintenance”. 

Multiple posts have detailed attempts to expose the folly of Sound Transit’s light rail spine.  They began a decade ago with a post and email to A.G Fergusons Office (now the presumptive Democratic candidate for Governor) detailing Sound Transit’s light rail violated RCW 81.104.00 requiring high-capacity transportation system options include a do nothing, low capital, and ranges of higher capital facilities. 

Clearly adding BRT routes along an existing limited access HOV lane could have added transit capacity at far less cost.   For example, two-way, bus-only lanes on I-90 Bridge center roadway could have added 10 times light rail capacity 10 years sooner, at 1/10^th the cost.  Especially for light rail trains limited to 4 cars every 8 minutes by Sound Transits decision to route it through DSTT.

A.G. Ferguson’s office response was they didn’t have the authority to respond to my request, instead suggesting I contact Sound Transit Board. The response was the following concerning I-90 Bridge center roadway:

Your assertion that Sound Transit’s failure to consider bus rapid transit (BRT) use of the center roadway failed to meet the statutory requirement outlined in 81.104.100(2](b) is misplaced. As noted above, the cited statute does not apply to project level reviews. 

 

The result has been Sound Transit allowed to spend billions on East Link and light rail spine  for 4-car light trains that won’t have the capacity to reduce peak hour freeway congestion and cost too much to operate off peak.   Money that could be used to add parking for access to expanded BRT has instead been used to replace existing bus routes with light rail trains. Ending bus routes reduces transit system capacity into Seattle, nothing to reduce GP lane congestion, and reduces access to current riders.  

The bottom line is Sound Transit been allowed to use ST3 approval in 2016 to spend $54B between 2016 and 2041 to build out their ST3 map to spend $145B between 2016 and 2046 and leave a $28.4B debt in 2047 well after ST3 taxes ended in 2041.  Any rational attempts to comply with RCW 81.104.100 would have aborted the light rail spine.

At this point the best that can be done is force Sound Transit to allow some of the $1,850 million in sales tax revenue in 2024 ($93,728 million by 2046) be used to help fund roads, bridges, and ferries.  Especially since far more of those paying the taxes use the roads than ride light rail.

That’s what this candidate for governor recommends.